Big Game
Big Game is the premiere of Canary Season 1 and the 1st episode overall. Summary NEW STATUS QUO- While the new incarnation of Team Arrow tries to keep the streets clean, Oliver and Felicity enjoy a heroics-free life in Australia but their bliss turns to panic and fear when a rogue member of the League of Assassins sets his sights on the pair. Malcolm comes to blows with Nyssa over his role in Sara's death, and Laurel has foreboding dreams of Danny Brickwell. Meanwhile, Ray contends with an old flame: Andrea Beaumont, who proposes a new business plan for Palmer Technologies. When the rogue League member begins killing his way through town in search of The Arrow, Diggle dons the costume and fights the man alone. Finally, the Suicide Squad returns. Main Cast * Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance/Black Canary/Laurel Lance (Earth 2)/Black Siren * David Ramsey as John Diggle/The Arrow * Willa Holland as Thea Queen/Speedy * Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen * Katrina Law as Nyssa al Ghul * Caity Lotz as Sara Lance * Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn * Deborah Ann Woll as Andrea Beaumont * with Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance * and John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn/Ra's al Ghul Special Guest Stars * Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer * Vinne Jones as Danny Brickwell (dreams) * Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak * with David Morrissey as Julian Mercer * and Steve Valentine as Derek Powers Recurring Cast * Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Diggle * Dustin Clare as Beau Brummel * Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Amanda Waller * Amy Gumenick as Carrie Cutter/Cupid * Casper Crump as Vandal Savage (Earth 1) * and Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter Guest Cast * Kristofer Hivju as Blake Reed TEASER INT. HOUSE- LIVING ROOM- NIGHT OLIVER and FELICITY are cuddling on the couch, watching some Lifetime Original Movie when a crash is heard outside. FELICITY: Did you hear that? OLIVER: One second… Another crash. Oliver moves to the: INT. DOOR- NEXT He turns off the alarm. WHEEWWPP! A single hole appears in the window nearest the couch. Oliver turns. OLIVER: NO!! Felicity is lying on the floor, bleeding profusely from her neck. Ollie scoops her up bridal-style and carries her out the door. EXT. WOODS- NEXT In the shadows, a RED-BEARDED MAN smirks and vanishes into the trees. END TEASER ACT I EXT. CEMETERY- NIGHT Oliver holds his umbrella up against a heavy rain. CAPTION: SIX MONTHS LATER A balding suit with piercing blue eyes, similarly defended against the elements, strides beside him. OLIVER: I’d like to be alone, Mr.- MERCER: Mercer. Julian Mercer. I’m sure Ra’s told you about my employer before his rather fortunate and well-timed passing, all sorts of lies and half-truths, none of which are anywhere near important right now. Allow me to express my deepest condolences, Mr. Queen. My people have tracked your girlfriend’s murderer to somewhere in Central America. His name is Blake Reed, he’s a big game hunter. Well, was. He still hunts big game, but his prey these days tend to be bipedal. When one of my people caught up to him, he kept raving about making the Arrow his next target. Oliver turns to Mercer, his patience with the man waning. Anger in his eyes. OLIVER: Why does the Arrow concern you? He’s been dead for months. MERCER: No, Mr. Queen. The Arrow is standing before me. Rather, his broken and pitiful civilian alias. But you and I both know that Oliver Queen is the mask; the Arrow is who you really are. If you knew what was coming, if you had any inkling of the wrath you have incurred, you would embrace that inescapable reality. Those years on Lian Yu changed you for the better. Oliver Queen was weak, a playboy using his parents’ money as a prop. The Arrow is strong and uncompromising in pursuit of his goals. You come and visit Miss Smoak’s grave every night at the exact time her death was called in that hospital. She practically bled out on the front steps. What was it that did her in? Shock! Yes, that was it. Now, I don’t say these things to be cruel, Mr. Queen, I say them because you were too weak to save a woman you claim to adore. If you took off the mask, Felicity would still be with us and Reed would be turned inside out with whatever’s left hanging from a pole. My employer can help make that fantasy a reality for you. OLIVER: I can catch Reed on my own. I certainly don’t need your twisted ideals muddying everything up for me. MERCER: There’s the glimpse of the real man that I was hoping to see. We’ll be in touch, Mr. Queen. He respectfully nods at Felicity’s headstone and climbs into his limo. INT. THE ARROWCAVE- DAY LAUREL and THEA suit up and begin to head out the door, only to have their way blocked by a gruff DIGGLE. LAUREL: He’s here, John, he’s out there. Get out of our way. DIGGLE: Not while you’re still wired from last night. You need time to cool off. Go home, Laurel. THEA: Laurel, what is he talking about? LAUREL: Nothing, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about me. DIGGLE: I thought Oliver was the one who was good at keeping secrets. LAUREL: Like you’ve been the bastion of honesty, John! She turns away, fuming, leaning against the center console for support. THEA: Laurel- LAUREL: That’s my name, don’t wear it out. THEA: Have you been drinking again? LAUREL: God, no! DIGGLE: Not entirely sure you would tell us if you were. We’ve seen that movie already. Didn’t much care for the ending. But this isn’t about what you are or are not sharing with Thea or your father… this really is about Reed, isn’t it? LAUREL: No! DIGGLE: Then spit it out, Laurel! Tell me! What is it? What the hell is going on that is so awful that you cannot tell us?! Huh? I seem to remember you giving Ollie a lot of crap for not being honest with you when you first found out his secret, so spill yours. Hypocrisy doesn’t sell here, not anymore. LAUREL: Felicity is dead! Our friend is gone and she’s not coming back. This isn’t like when Sara died, this is different. I knew. THEA: Knew what? LAUREL: I knew who Reed was and I tracked him to Perth, where Oliver and Felicity were staying. I didn’t think anything of it, I didn’t tell Oliver that I was tracking Reed until it was too late. THEA: And that’s why he hasn’t come back, because he blames you? DIGGLE: He’s not coming back because he knows that Laurel blames herself and he doesn’t want her to have to look at him every single day. LAUREL: Meanwhile, H.I.V.E. is tearing the city apart. Real stand-up guy. She brushes past her compatriots, slipping her mask on. Diggle makes no move to stop her. THEA: Was that really necessary, John? DIGGLE: Better than letting her guilt eat away at her. When you put a voice to your feelings, they can’t control you anymore. Thea dons her own mask and leaves. INT. SCPD- LANCE’S OFFICE- NIGHT- FLASHBACK QUENTIN hides his bottle under his desk as Laurel enters. She’s dressed in funeral garb. LAUREL: We’re alcoholics, dad. There is no such thing as one drink a day for us. How many times do I need to reiterate that? QUENTIN: It’s October 8th, Laurel. The anniversary of- LAUREL: I don’t care, I- the 8th? QUENTIN: Yeah. What’s with the- LAUREL: I thought about joining Oliver at Felicity’s grave today. I chickened out and came here. QUENTIN: Baby, you are not- LAUREL: Aren’t I? I had every opportunity to tell Ollie that Reed might be gunning for him, but I didn’t. QUENTIN: He made no moves against Oliver or Felicity in the time leading up to that night, you had no way of knowing. LAUREL: But I could’ve told Oliver that Reed was in the area. QUENTIN: He already knew. LAUREL: What? QUENTIN: I contacted my friends down under and they put an undercover officer on protection detail. The guy whose face Reed burned off with the grill. Oliver gambled and lost. There was nothing you could’ve done. You thought he was safe, baby, so stop beating yourself up for being human, okay? Please. I’m starting to worry about you. LAUREL: Well, don’t. I’m handling this. QUENTIN: Doesn’t sound like it to me. LAUREL: So what? QUENTIN: Because there’s something else going on here. You and I both know that. LAUREL: Don’t go there, daddy. QUENTIN: I may be getting old but I’m not blind. You reacted this exact same way when- LAUREL: I remember. QUENTIN: You and I both know that you moved on from Oliver years ago, but we also know- Laurel cuts him off, and what comes out of her mouth is consciously new information for her. Something she’s denied, but has always known in the back of her mind. This is the first time she’s saying it aloud. LAUREL (finishing): -That there’s still a part of me that loves him. QUENTIN: Yes. LAUREL: I’m not doing this, I can’t. Not right now. She leaves, slamming the door behind her. INT. VERDANT- BAR- DAY Laurel sits down at the bar, and AMANDA WALLER soon follows her. WALLER: Ms. Lance- LAUREL: Relax. I’m not here to find liquid courage to tell Oliver anything. I’m just… thinking. WALLER: About what? LAUREL: Sara. It’s the anniversary of her death, did you know that? WALLER: No. LAUREL: Thea and Felicity would always go on and on about how she would be proud of me, and, if she were here, I am positive that she’d lecture me about how the debacle with Reed isn’t some stain on my record. WALLER: But this isn’t about that, is it? Not really? LAUREL: I’ve been having these horrible nightmares lately. Brickwell breaks out of jail, tries to kill me. WALLER: And in these nightmares, Sara comes back and saves you? Laurel pauses. Waller sees the gears turning in her head. LAUREL: Yeah. Sara saves me. An obvious lie, they both know it, but Waller doesn’t push and Laurel doesn’t fess up. Waller nods and leaves her alone. LAUREL: You’re here, too, huh? TOMMY MERLYN appears at the bar, leaning forward. TOMMY: For now, yeah. You gonna tell her the truth? LAUREL: Would she believe me? Would any of them? TOMMY: Solid point. LAUREL: Understatement. Tommy VANISHES. Laurel sighs, staring off into the distance. Contemplating. INT. QUEEN MANSION- FOYER- DAY Oliver sits across from Waller, who watches him like a hawk as a peruses a file. OLIVER: Reed is a member of the League of Assassins? WALLER: Formerly. Malcolm Merlyn cast him out shortly after taking up the mantle, which I understand you gave to him. OLIVER: Complicated. WALLER: While I truly am sorry to hear about Miss Smoak, I do need you now. OLIVER: For what? CARRIE CUTTER and DIGGER HARKNESS enter. Oliver stands, going on the offensive. HARKNESS: Relax, mate. We’re here to help. OLIVER: Help me? How? CARRIE: The three of us are going to neutralize Reed and make an alliance with the League against H.I.V.E. OLIVER: What the hell is H.I.V.E.? LYLA comes out of hiding. LYLA: The terrorist organization led by Damien Darhk. They’ve been on our watch list for quite some time. I’m sure the previous Ra’s mentioned him to you once or twice? Told you how dangerous Darhk can be? OLIVER: Why does this have anything to do with me? An arrow SHOOTS through the window, impaling Waller through the neck. She hits the floor. LYLA: Because Reed is here and he knows who you are. Oliver breaks off the arrow head and pulls it free from Waller, who quickly chokes on her own blood. The assembled are aghast. OLIVER (off their looks): You’re welcome. He stands, grabs the file, and leaves. CARRIE: So, Director Michaels, now what? LYLA: Tail him. We need Reed alive for the deal with the League to work. INT. NANDA PARBAT- THRONE ROOM- DAY MALCOLM MERLYN and NYSSA are training rigorously. Eventually, Nyssa sweeps Malcolm’s legs from under him and pins him to the floor, foot on his windpipe. MALCOLM: Still sore about Sara? NYSSA: An idiotic question. MALCOLM: What if I told you I could use the Lazarus pit to bring her back? Nyssa’s face softens, only momentarily, but Malcolm uses this to pull her down and straddles her, a knife to her throat. NYSSA: I would say she has been dead for a year. What comes back would not be Sara. MALCOLM: Wouldn’t it? That way I stop having to look over my shoulder and you get to be happy. Win-win. NYSSA: If you believe that, you are woefully naïve, usurper. She flips Malcolm over and grabs his knife, putting it to his throat now. A tense moment passes between them. Nyssa relieves the pressure on Malcolm’s throat, tosses the knife aside, and stands. Malcolm rubs his neck. NYSSA: I will have my moment. MALCOLM: You are a broken record. Nyssa scoffs and exits. INT. LIMO- DAY Oliver climbs into his limo to find MERCER in the seat opposite him. MERCER: Have you thought about my offer? OLIVER: You help me find Reed then you and I are done. MERCER: Message received. He hands Oliver another file on Reed. MERCER: Happy hunting, Mr. Queen. Oliver exits the vehicle. EXT. ALLEYWAY- DAY REED fights Thea and Laurel, easily besting the two. Oliver shows up and fights him off, leaving Reed with a cut on his cheek. THEA: Ollie? LAUREL: Good timing. OLIVER: Not good enough. He nods in the direction of the three dead civilians in the alley, riddled with arrows and bullet wounds. Oliver walks away, but Laurel grabs his shoulder. LAUREL: Ollie… OLIVER: We’re finding him and killing him. End of story. THEA: We need him! OLIVER: I don’t care. He dies. He walks away, leaving the ladies shocked. INT. ARROWCAVE- DAY Laurel and Thea pace. Diggle rolls his eyes. DIGGLE: I’ve seen Ollie grieving before. This is different. LYLA: How so? DIGGLE: Someone knows he liked Felicity. He liked her a lot, and that someone is manipulating his grief. Oliver tends to stay in the ‘anger’ stage the longest. LYLA: So what do we do? We can’t just let him kill Reed. THEA: Sure we can, if it breaks whatever hold this H.I.V.E. thing has over him. LAUREL: Thea. THEA: What? I’m just saying what we’re all thinking. LYLA: We need him alive if this alliance is gonna go through. Malcolm heard about Felicity’s death and helped us with Reed a few weeks ago in Central America. He sent his minions to aid in our efforts to retrieve Reed, but Damien Darhk’s own little cultists decided to have a go at him themselves. The two forces ended up setting a part of the jungle ablaze before they took each other out. THEA: Damage control for that must’ve been a bitch. DIGGLE: What is with you? LAUREL: Lyla, will you brief Thea on protocol for this, please? She takes Diggle aside. LAUREL: Remember how we were told Thea would come back different? DIGGLE: You think this has something to do with the Lazarus Pit? LAUREL: Maybe whatever aggression she’s experiencing might be mitigated if we let her kill Reed? DIGGLE: Are you serious? LAUREL: It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it. DIGGLE: What about this alliance with the League? LAUREL: You and I both know Malcolm is gonna stab us in the back as soon as he can. We need to offer him something bigger if we’re gonna get an alliance out of them. DIGGLE: Like what? LAUREL: Like Damien Darhk. He’s somewhere in the city. END ACT I ACT II INT. HOSPITAL ROOM- DAY RAY PALMER lies unconscious, heavily bandaged. Upon opening his eyes, a beautiful REDHEAD stands over him. She’s tall and working the suit she’s in. This is ANDREA BEAUMONT. ANDREA: Hey, you. You’ve been out for a while. A few scrapes, bruises, burns. Nothing major. You should be discharged in a few days. I’ll see you when you’re home. Mayor Lord renamed the City in honor of your brush with death, by the way. It’s Star City now. She nods to her bodyguard, DEREK POWERS, and the two turn to go. RAY: Andrea… ANDREA: Hmm? RAY: It’s good to see you. Andrea smiles. ‘You too’. She and Powers leave. INT. NANDA PARBAT- BEDROOM- DAY Malcolm is shirtless, applying some kind of lotion to his wounds. Nyssa enters. NYSSA: Do you truly believe Oliver and his friends are willing to turn Blake Reed over to us unscathed? MALCOLM: Of course not. Their precious I.T. girl is dead. A member of their team. I imagine Oliver will deliver Reed’s head to us on a silver platter come morning. NYSSA: I sense Damien Darhk’s hand in this. MALCOLM: Probably his revenge for your father trying to kill him. NYSSA: He wouldn’t target Oliver if he wanted to get back at us. He’s always had an affinity for corruption of the good men and women of this world. I imagine that is his endgame. MALCOLM: Like your older sister? NYSSA: Talia is dead to me. She has been for a long time. MALCOLM: My son told himself the same thing many times. It was never true. You’ve had many ‘moments’ to kill me, Nyssa. NYSSA: I appreciate the poetry I intend to give you in death. Trust me when I say I will find the perfect time to end your miserable life. MALCOLM: And I again say you are welcome to try, little girl. Nyssa leaves his chambers. INT. SCPD- QUENTIN’S OFFICE- DAY Laurel enters her father’s office. LAUREL: Find anything on him? QUENTIN: Reed’s somewhere close by, I can feel him. Thea tells me her brother is back in town. LAUREL: With the express purpose of killing Reed, it seems. QUENTIN: He seems to be taking the Smoak girl’s death pretty hard. LAUREL: Well, he did run away with her, dad. QUENTIN: I ran away with this girl I was infatuated with in high school. Didn’t last and I got over it. He will too. LAUREL: I hope he does, dad. Let me know if you find him, okay? QUENTIN: This guy’s a ghost, but he does leave calling cards. Three people in a star pattern wherever he feels like it. LAUREL: How many people has he killed now? QUENTIN: Eighteen since last week. REED (voice): I can easily make that twenty right now. Reed enters the office, kicking the door closed behind him. He brandishes a gun, leveling it at Quentin. When Laurel moves to disarm him, he whips out a knife and stabs her in the shoulder. REED: Figuring out Oliver Queen was the Arrow was the easy part. Having a friend confirm it was simply a formality. He’s the ultimate prize, Lance. He’ll make an excellent trophy. Laurel shoves the gun away from her father; it goes off. Reed opens the door, which she kicks him though into: INT. PRECINCT- NEXT Laurel and Reed assume fighting stances, with Reed forgoing weapons. ‘Let’s make it fair’. Their fight is intermittently interrupted by officers, whom Reed dispatches quite easily. Eventually, a bullet strikes Reed and he flees. LAUREL: Dad? QUENTIN: No one hurts my brothers in blue, much less my little girl. He stumbles and falls. Laurel catches him. INT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES- RAY’S OFFICE- DAY Ray enters, on crutches. His face has begun healing. Andrea swivels around in his chair to face him. Powers stands to the side, watching him suspiciously. ANDREA: Afternoon, dearest. RAY: What do you want? ANDREA: I think you might want to sit down. I have a proposition. Ray sits, albeit with difficulty. RAY: You gonna tell Creepy McCreeperson over there to stop staring at me? ANDREA: Derek was caught in the particle accelerator explosion in Central City. I find he is useful in protecting me from anyone and anything. RAY: I take it a ‘warm, sunny disposition’ wasn’t in the bodyguard job description? DEREK: I think you’ll find I can be very warm when I wish to be, Mr. Palmer. RAY: So what’s this proposal, Andrea? ANDREA: A merger between Palmer Technologies and Beaumont-Powers Global. RAY: “Powers”? Oh. So his service is more indentured servitude. DEREK: I am right here, Mr. Palmer. ANDREA: He serves me in exchange for his metahuman nature remaining under wraps, an arrangement to which something he was more than willing to agree. His brother, Eric, is actually my partner in the company. RAY: Shady. ANDREA: Like you’re any better? You and your friend Oliver Queen are vigilantes. RAY: How do you-? ANDREA: I know a great many things, Raymond. Now, about this merger… RAY: You’re a shark, Andrea, you always have been. ANDREA: Of which you decidedly enjoyed the taste. RAY: That was a long time ago. Andrea pulls out a stack of files from her briefcase. ANDREA: Palmer Tech isn’t exactly on the fast track, Ray. Might be filing bankruptcy soon enough. Let Beaumont Global help avert that tragedy. RAY: Where do I sign? INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- EVENING Laurel lays down on her couch and closes her eyes. INT. APARTMENT- NEXT- DREAM Laurel fights off an angry DANIEL BRICKWELL. The ensuing struggle ruins a good portion of the common area until Brickwell goes down, bleeding from his ears, when a loud SONIC SCREAM permeates the apartment. Laurel is unaffected as a black-leather-clad woman stands behind him. The woman looks just. Like. Laurel! LAUREL: Who the hell are you? LAUREL (E2)/BLACK SIREN: You can call me Black Siren. Black Siren vanishes as soon as she appears. INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- NEXT- NIGHT Laurel wakes up from her brief nap. It’s dark outside. INT. QUENTIN’S HOSPITAL ROOM- NIGHT Quentin lays in bed, his arm in a sling. Diggle enters. QUENTIN: Oh, it’s you. DIGGLE: Where’s Damien Darhk, Quentin? QUENTIN: Why do you wanna know? DIGGLE: So you are working for him. QUENTIN: Excuse me? He’s here to help the city. DIGGLE: Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night? QUENTIN: What are you on about, Mr. Diggle? DIGGLE: You gave him access to police files. QUENTIN: To help him clean up the Glades in the absence of the Arrow! DIGGLE: And you told Reed that Oliver is the Arrow. QUENTIN: I did not! DIGGLE: You’re the only person he could’ve gotten than information from. QUENTIN: I’m not gonna sit here and have my character questioned by some vigilante, Mr. Diggle. DIGGLE: Maybe this will change your mind? Diggle digs his phone out of his jacket pocket and shows him a video of Darhk killing people in the Glades with his mind. Quentin countenance changes like a light switch. DIGGLE: Where’s Darhk? INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- NIGHT A knock on the door. Hesitantly, Laurel opens the door, a frying pan in hand. Oliver backs up when he sees her. LAUREL: I thought you were only back in town to kill Reed? OLIVER: I’m not officially back in town to do anything. Just passing through, really. Reed is simply a distraction. Can I come in without the threat of cranial trauma, please? Laurel lowers the frying pan. LAUREL: Oh, yeah, sorry. Come on in. She steps aside, Oliver enters, and she closes the door. LAUREL: I’ve been a bit jumpy lately. OLIVER: Wanna talk about it? LAUREL: Not at this premise moment. She sits by the fire. Oliver follows suit, resting his head on her shoulder. LAUREL: I’m sorry. OLIVER: It’s okay. LAUREL: Ollie, she was a member of our team and our friend. OLIVER: A.R.G.U.S. wants Reed alive to solidify some kind of alliance with the League to take down H.I.V.E. I think we have too many acronyms to worry about. LAUREL: Sounds like they don’t know how the League works. Nyssa sent me a message this morning. She said Malcolm does want Reed alive, but this alliance won’t be cemented by Reed alone. She told me that she heard Darhk was somewhere in the city. I had Diggle look into it, and he’s killing people in the Glades. My dad doesn’t really understand it, but he thinks it’s some kind of magic. OLIVER: Magic? LAUREL: Yeah, it’s powered by death or something like that. OLIVER: I’d been keeping a loose eye on the city since I left. I thought this Darhk guy wanted to rehabilitate the Glades. LAUREL: And his being the head of a terrorist organization wasn’t enough to change your mind? She shows Ollie the same video that Diggle showed Quentin in the hospital. OLIVER: It’s not a secret I take everything Waller said with a grain of salt. I also know that the new mayor beat out his wife in the election. LAUREL: Ruve Adams was never a strong-enough candidate anyway. Now she’s dead. OLIVER: What? LAUREL: Shot through the heart. OLIVER: Cutter? LAUREL: I approached Lyla with that possibility after I got my dad to the hospital, but she didn’t seem terribly convinced. Why did you come here tonight, Ollie? OLIVER: You’re my safe place, Laurel. I need that right now. LAUREL (chuckling): You always know how to make me feel good about myself. I’m glad I can be that for you. A series of loud knocks on the door. Oliver springs up and practically tears the door open, pulling an unarmed Reed inside. Ollie throws him to the ground. OLIVER: You! REED: If I may have a moment alone- LAUREL: No chance in hell. REED: Suit yourself, but you never know. OLIVER: Never know what? REED: Who’s on Darhk’s side. LAUREL: Give us one good reason we should let you speak. REED: Oliver, you know that Darhk wants me dead, right? So does Malcolm Merlyn. OLIVER: And why is that? REED: Because I have knowledge of something they want kept quiet. LAUREL: We don’t have time for games, Reed. REED: Oh, I think you do. Fight me on the rooftop of Palmer Tech at midnight and defeat me… and I’ll tell you everything I know. You lose, you die. He tackles Laurel to the ground and stabs Oliver in the knee, impaling Laurel’s hand to the floor with another knife. Laurel screams. REED: Now that I have your attention… He rises and tackles Oliver against the wall. The door flies open and DIGGLE, clad in the old Arrow suit, fights Reed. DIGGLE: Get away from them! Reed jumps out of Laurel’s window. Diggle races to the window, but Reed is gone. He tends to Laurel. EXT. NANDA PARBAT- NIGHT Malcolm and Nyssa walk side by side. Alone. NYSSA: Reed has been in the city 24 hours and already he has killed the head of one of the most influential, albeit clandestine, government agencies on the planet. MALCOLM: And this hostile attitude is exactly why he needs to die. He may not realize it, but Darhk is steering him exactly the way that H.I.V.E. needs. I highly doubt Oliver, even with his team, could defeat Reed without external assistance. Nyssa notices a single star in the sky. She gives Malcolm a look and proceeds to STAB him in the chest. A helicopter flies overhead, drops a ladder, and makes off with her. MALCOLM: Oh! God! He rips the knife out. No blood. Body armor. MALCOLM: I’ve survived worse. Several League members come to his aid. MALCOLM: I’m fine, I’m fine. Pursue her! INT. LIMO- NIGHT Mercer scoffs as a sharply-dressed man climbs into the vehicle. MERCER: You are late. BRUMMEL: The League of Assassins is nothing if not vigilant. They do not allow prisoners to escape easily and they usually execute members who they see as traitorous. I’m lucky I made it out of there when I did. They must want this Blake Reed dead as much as you do. Why is that? And why hire a career criminal like me to do your dirty work for you? MERCER: It’s not Reed who is your target, Mr. Brummel. BRUMMEL: It’s good to hear that name again. MERCER: What did Ra’s call you? Al-Safur? BRUMMEL: So, who is it you want dead now? EXT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES- ROOFTOP- NIGHT REED, decked out in League battle gear and brandishing a broadsword, awaits Oliver. Oliver is also clad in his League attire. REED: Al Sah-him. Finally. The ultimate prize. OLIVER: You took away someone very dear to my friends and I, Reed. REED: Had to get your attention somehow. He charges Oliver. They fight. Reed spins and kicks Ollie in the chest, Oliver tackles Reed, they un-sheath their broadswords and duel. REED: I’m not the bad guy, here, Oliver! OLIVER: Tell that to the twenty-three people you’ve killed since you arrived. REED: I’d love nothing more than to make it twenty-four, but there’s something you must know. OLIVER: Let me guess, some elaborate back-story meant to garner my sympathies? REED: Lazarus. OLIVER: What? REED: Damien Darhk is in possession of another Lazarus Pit. He kicks Oliver to the ground and steps on his wrist, pointing his own sword at Oliver’s throat. REED (CONT’D): And I can tell you where to find it and who he intends to resurrect with it. OLIVER: Not interested! He turns and punches Reed in the side, knocking the wind out of him. REED: You’re tough, I’ll give you that! He grabs Oliver, shoves him against the door leading to the stairwell, and begins squeezing. OLIVER: Gaaaarrhhhh! He knees Reed in the groin. REED: I do love it when the game puts up a fight. He grabs his sword and SKEWERS Oliver. REED: Both the League and H.I.V.E. want me dead, along with you and all your colorful friends. If you think Malcolm Merlyn is your ally, you are sorely mistaken. War is coming; the only person you can trust in war is yourself. You’ve proven yourself worthy, Mr. Queen. I’ll grant you the mercy of a quick death. He unveils a gun and pulls back the hammer. REED: He’s coming for you. OLIVER: Darhk? Malcolm? REED: Worse. Al-Safur. You’d know him as Beau Brummel. Darhk broke him out of the League’s prison without detection, though he’d lie and say he escaped of his own accord. He’s one of the current generation’s deadliest members and now H.I.V.E. has him in their roster. OLIVER: I defeated al-Safur in combat once. REED: Doubtless, Darhk has given him some upgrades. I’d watch your back. Now, about that Lazarus pit- A black arrow ERUPTS from his chest and he hits the concrete, coughing up blood. Oliver rips the sword free from his abdomen and goes to Reed. REED: Lazarus… Moira… Moira is key… OLIVER: “Forgive and have mercy upon him, excuse him and pardon him, and make honourable his reception. Expand his entry, and cleanse him with water, snow, and ice, and purify him of sin as a white robe is purified of filth. Exchange his home for a better home, and his family for a better family, and his spouse for a better spouse. Admit him into the Garden, protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire." REED: Moira… He expires. Oliver scans the surrounding rooftops and eventually spots Brummel, who trains a gun on him and fires. Oliver’s arm is nicked; Brummel vanishes. OLIVER: What the hell? He collapses close to Reed’s body. END ACT II ACT III EXT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES ROOFTOP- NIGHT Laurel, Thea and Diggle find Oliver on the rooftop next to Reed’s corpse. LAUREL: Ollie, you okay? OLIVER: I’m fine, just a scratch. DIGGLE: Come on, we have stitches back at the base. THEA: Is that what we’re calling it now? OLIVER: I’ve always sort of referred to it as ‘The Arrowcave’. DIGGLE: And I’ve always told you that’s a stupid name. LAUREL: Yeah, I’ve never heard you call it that. THEA: Yeah, me neither. OLIVER: What else would we call it? LAUREL: Why not ‘The Quiver’. I’m pretty sure “The noun-cave” is already taken. OLIVER: That… is actually better. To the Quiver! THEA: He’s delirious. LAUREL: There must be something in that bullet. Diggle grabs it and stuffs it in his jacket. INT. MERCER’S LIMO- NIGHT Brummel climbs in. BRUMMEL: It’s done. MERCER: And Queen? You know, I had hoped manipulating his anger would lead to he and Reed killing each other, but I’ll take Reed pushing up daisies as compensation. BRUMMEL: What did he know that was so bad? MERCER: Not your concern. Tell me about the neurotoxin you stole from the League vault. BRUMMEL: A small scratch is enough to infect the target and I got Queen good. It’ll eventually render him comatose and kill him. During this comatose state, it’ll give him the life of his dreams until his brain ceases functioning. The League only reserves the fates worse than death for deserters and mutineers. And even if Queen is capable of telling anyone else whatever Reed told him, we will have to eliminate the rest of his friends. MERCER: Multiple birds in quick succession. How wonderful. Damien Darhk will be pleased. Now get out. Brummel exits the limo. INT. THE QUIVER- NIGHT Oliver lies on the table, Diggle giving him stitches. Thea is talking about something with Ray. THEA: So, your crazy ex from high school is back and some tech mogul now? I’m confused. LAUREL: Yeah, what’s going on? Diggle finishes with Ollie’s stitches and heads over to check out the conversation. RAY: Okay, so Andrea Beaumont inherited Beaumont Global from her father Carl upon his death. It’s a big weapons manufacturer. BG later joined up with Powers Technologies, which makes communication arrays for the military. Beaumont-Powers Global has a lot of really important shares in the market and Andrea had me sign over Palmer Tech in a merger with her company. She seemed overly eager to settle the contract. I think she might be working with this Damien Darhk guy, or maybe Malcolm Merlyn. OLIVER: Andrea? I dated her during her freshman year before she transferred to Gotham University. What’s the Queen of Sass and Ass doing here? RAY: Is he high? DIGGLE: On morphine, yeah. Had to set a few of his ribs and treat his stab wound. Reed did a number on him. RAY: Lovely. THEA: So you want us to help you stop Andrea? RAY: Give me a few days, make sure I’m reading this right. She also said something about collecting on her parents’ insurance money. DIGGLE: Keep us in the loop. INT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES- ANDREA’S OFFICE- NIGHT Andrea is busy at work, Powers by the door. Ray enters. RAY: You’re up late. ANDREA: Companies are big responsibilities, Raymond. I heard they finally got that serial killer, said he was going after the Arrow. Crazy guy, the Arrow’s been dead for months. He ended up killing twenty-three people before someone put him down. RAY: Yeah. The city’s hero. Listen, Andrea, is there a specific reason you’re here? ANDREA: I want to collect on my parents’ insurance, I told you, and I got the merger I’d been hoping for. RAY: Why was this merger so important to you? You hoping to make this a conglomerate? You know we don’t produce weapons. We help people. ANDREA: Palmer Technologies has made some very important strides recently. They could be useful. RAY: Are you trying to displace Merlyn Global? That was your goal last time we spoke, about four years ago. You know that company’s CEO is dead, as is his son, right? They’re no threat on the market, haven’t been for a long time. ANDREA: Always helps to be prepared. Robert Queen rejected my father’s merger offer then, why are you accepting it now? RAY: Maybe I appreciated the mouth the offer was coming from more. ANDREA: You always were a charmer, Raymond Palmer. Where’s old Ollie? Oliver Queen? I hear he’s the big man about town now. RAY: I don’t really keep up with Oliver, haven’t since the last few terrorist attacks. ANDREA: I heard you lost your fiancée in one of those attacks. I’m very sorry. She must’ve been awesome. RAY: She was. Her name was Anna. ANDREA: Good name. Is there anything specific I can help you with, old friend? RAY: How about dinner tomorrow night? ANDREA: Perfect. Pick me up at 7:30. RAY: It’s a date, then. Ray leaves, Powers scrutinizing him every step of the way. POWERS: I don’t trust him, Miss Beaumont. ANDREA: He’s no threat. Let him be, Derek. POWERS: Andrea- ANDREA: Let him be, I said. INT. QUENTIN’S HOSPITAL ROOM- NIGHT Laurel enters to find her father awake, bleary-eyed. LAUREL (whispers): Hey, daddy. QUENTIN: Baby, it’s almost three in the morning. How did you get in here? LAUREL: I snuck in. I wanted to see you. QUENTIN: You have no idea how happy hearing that makes me, Laurel. What’s up? LAUREL: Some things have come up. QUENTIN: Can you be a little more specific? LAUREL: Diggle told me you’ve been working for Darhk? QUENTIN: Not anymore. He’s a monster; controls Some kind of weird, voodoo death magic. I want no part of that. Laurel sits by his bedside. LAUREL: Oliver says Reed told him about another Lazarus Pit before he was assassinated. I’m thinking, maybe… we could get Sara back. QUENTIN: Laurel. LAUREL: Come on, Malcolm owes us one. If I can just get to Nanda Parbat- QUENTIN: Baby girl, if there was a way I could get her back, you know I would, but- LAUREL: But what, dad? It’s Sara! QUENTIN: Do it. LAUREL: Dad? QUENTIN: Do it, Laurel. I- I can’t… I can’t handle it anymore. Find that Lazarus Pit thing, or use the League’s, I don’t know, just make sure she’s okay, all right? Make sure she’s Sara. LAUREL: She’s gonna be Sara, dad. She kisses his forehead and leaves. EXT. QUEEN MANSION- NIGHT Thea and Oliver stand outside their abode. THEA: Are you sure you have to go? OLIVER: The city doesn’t need the Arrow anymore. He’s gone. They have you now. If I can lure Darhk away from town, I might be able to get him arrested. I encountered some of his death magic before on Lian Yu, about a year before they found me and brought me back here. THEA: Ollie- OLIVER: I’ll keep in touch, I promise. THEA: I’m gonna go talk to Andrea about buying back the mansion from the company. OLIVER: That sounds like a solid plan. I love you. THEA: I love you too. He hugs Thea and kisses her forehead before climbing into his limo, which soon drives off. INT. LAZARUS PIT CHAMBER- NIGHT Malcolm surveys the Pit's waters, almost submerging when Mercer enters. MALCOLM: Mr. Mercer. I assume Damien has some sort of message for me? MERCER: He would like to extend the opportunity for the League to stand down and be absorbed into H.I.V.E. lest he trample you underneath his boot. MALCOLM: Sounds like the same ultimatum he’s given all of his adversaries these past 160 years. Tell him I am thoroughly disinclined to acquiesce to his request! MERCER: Very well. He vanishes in a cloud of black smoke. MALCOLM: It seems that Mr. Darhk has formally declared war on us. This should be interesting. INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- NIGHT- DREAM Laurel sits by the fire, with SARA lying on the couch. LAUREL: Have you ever wondered what would happen if you didn’t go back to the League of Assassins, sis? SARA: I think I still would’ve died. Not much difference, really. LAUREL: Ha! Ever the optimist! Well, I think maybe you and Ray could’ve been cute. SARA: Yeah, cuz the primary reason that I exist is to screw all the hot guys in your life. The sisters laugh uproariously. LAUREL: I miss you, Sara. SARA: I miss you, too, Laurel. But I’m okay, I promise. I’m in a better place now. Don’t think I haven’t considered haunting your ass, though, because I totally have. Laurel chuckles again when Brickwell appears again, only to be “killed” by Laurel’s evil twin. Again. This time Sara is also a victim. LAUREL (E2)/BLACK SIREN: Loved ones will only hold you back if you’re to defeat Darhk and his legions. Ally your team with the League. You’ll have a fighting chance. She turns to go. LAUREL: Wait! Where you’re from, is Sara alive? Her twin does not answer and vanishes without a trace. EXT. CEMETERY- NIGHT Laurel and Thea have exhumed Sara’s grave- only to find it completely EMPTY! LAUREL: No… who would do this? She starts crying, leaning on Thea for support. THEA: We’ll find these sick freaks, I promise. INT. THE QUIVER- NIGHT Diggle watches over Oliver, who is now asleep. The bullet wound has begun festering despite all of Diggle’s efforts. DIGGLE: You’re gonna be alright, man, I know it. Just hold on. Oliver begins seizing. DIGGLE: Crap! Oliver, come on! He puts a cloth in Oliver’s mouth and holds him steady until Oliver stops seizing. DIGGLE: That’s it, I’m taking you to the hospital. He picks Oliver up and carries him out of the base. EXT. STREET- NIGHT Thea catches up to Andrea. Powers is wary of her, but she brushes him off. ANDREA: Go wait in the car. Yes, Miss Queen? THEA: I’m sorry, I know that it’s late, but is there maybe a chance we could discuss buying my family’s mansion back? ANDREA: Remind me tomorrow, and we’ll talk. It would be a pleasure, Miss Queen. Just give me a call in the morning and we will discuss it. THEA: Wow. That was easy. ANDREA: Well I do want to make a good impression on the citizens and the Queens seem like the perfect place to start. THEA: Thanks. See you around, then. ANDREA: Good evening. Andrea gets in her limo, which drives away. Thea whips out her phone. THEA: You were right, Ray. There is definitely something fishy going on with your lady friend. INT. THE QUIVER- NIGHT A MIDDLE EASTERN MAN DRESSED IN A BLUE SUIT peruses the base, now devoid of all other life. A man in a brown duster and a goatee steps from the shadows. VANDAL SAVAGE and RIP HUNTER, respectively. HUNTER: I was wondering where and when I’d find you, Savage. SAVAGE: Rip Hunter. The only Time Master who dares to oppose me. My conquest of this planet is inevitable. You would only be exercising your ability to engage in futility if you bring the Lance girl, or Mr. Palmer, or Chay-Ara, or those criminals, or any of them. HUNTER: At least it would give me the opportunity to kill you as many times as I like. SAVAGE: Would it? Perhaps I will do the same to your precious future team. HUNTER: Why are you here, Savage? SAVAGE: I wanted to talk. Darhk is a threat to all of us. You can engage in your exercise in futility later, but if Darhk succeeds in his plan, there will be no free will to speak of, no planet even. HUNTER: Are you suggesting I ally with the man who butchered my family? SAVAGE: Call it a necessary acquaintanceship. HUNTER: Go to hell. SAVAGE: I have already been. I found it quite lovely. HUNTER: Despicable. SAVAGE: And yet you cannot stay away from me, Mr. Hunter. Perhaps there is some appeal? HUNTER: Your juvenile attempts at making me uncomfortable won’t work. Again I say, go to hell! And leave this place untouched when you do. He stalks away. Savage soon vanishes as well. INT. MERCER’S LIMO- NIGHT The limo door opposite Mercer opens, but we do not yet see whom it is who enters. MERCER: I trust your return journey was sufficiently entertaining. Pan over to a blood-soaked SARA LANCE, clad all in white. SARA: Most definitely. You gonna take me to see this Damien guy? MERCER: Gladly, Miss Lance. The car speeds off. END ACT III ACT IV INT. QUEEN MANSION- NIGHT Thea and Oliver stand in the center of their former home. OLIVER: So Beaumont decided to just sit down and talk with you, simple as that? THEA: Yeah. Do you think she might have some sort of hidden agenda? OLIVER: She does seem awfully enthusiastic about setting up shop in town. Ray is worried she may be on Darhk’s payroll, or worse, Malcolm’s. Frankly, so am I. THEA: Ollie, not everyone in the world who isn’t outright forthcoming about his or her intentions in town is automatically some psychopathic terrorist. OLIVER: Because the last three years have made an absolutely splendid case for that optimism and faith in humanity. She playfully punches his shoulder. THEA: I’m serious. She seems nice, a little shady but nice. OLIVER: Just watch yourself. Promise? THEA: I promise. He kisses her forehead and takes her hand, leading her up the staircase. INT. STAIRCASE- NEXT The siblings stop at a picture of the four members of the Queen family together. Moira and Robert are happy. Genuinely happy. THEA: And then we were never happy again. She and Oliver share an ironic chuckle. THEA (CONT’D): Seriously, though, why would some nebulous terrorist organization want to resurrect Mom? I thought all the secrets she had were unraveled with the Undertaking. OLIVER: Maybe we didn’t know her like we thought we did. Perhaps this terrorist organization will become less nebulous when we figure those secrets out. THEA: Do you think Malcolm might be hip to whatever is going on? OLIVER: Thea- THEA: Don’t ‘Thea’ me, Ollie. I don’t like him any more than you do but if we need allies who’ve dealt with Darhk and H.I.V.E. before. And you’ve been shot, so… OLIVER: I’ve been grazed. I’ll be fine. Diggle and Laurel analyzed the arrow used to kill Reed. It’s League weaponry. THEA: So Malcolm did want Reed dead? OLIVER: Seems so. Adds credence to your theory that he knows something about Darhk’s Lazarus Pit. Call him up. THEA: Will do. OLIVER: I never intended to stay in the city long. THEA: You’re leaving already, still? I was hoping getting shot at might’ve changed your mind. OLIVER: Three people are dead because of Darhk’s agenda. I need to find him and bring him down. Thea hugs him tightly. THEA: Keep in touch, okay. OLIVER: Okay. She kisses her brother’s cheek and walks him to the: INT. QUEEN MANSION- DOORWAY- NEXT Oliver hugs and kisses Thea one more time before opening the door. THEA: I’m going to stick around, see if I can’t unearth anything more of Mom’s. He nods and exits, closing the door behind him. INT. DIGGLE FAMILY APARTMENT- NIGHT Diggle is sitting on the couch, Lyla’s feet in his lap, with baby Sara playing on the floor close by. DIGGLE: What’s on your mind? LYLA: A lot of things, truth be told. DIGGLE: Well, give me the most prominent of these “things”. LYLA: A.R.G.U.S. has been closely monitoring H.I.V.E. for the past six months and nothing. They’re hiding something, something big; something they’d kill to keep under wraps. Which actually doesn’t shorten the list of their possible dealings whatsoever! Ugh! I’m in charge of the operation to bring Darhk to justice and I can’t do that when no one knows where the hell he is. It’s a lot of responsibility to be thrown at one person. DIGGLE: I thought he was in the Glades? LYLA: That’s what we thought, too, and he was for a time. Not anymore. His magic is strengthened by death, right, so he would logically stay in a place with a lot of crime and possibility for multiple deaths on any given day. DIGGLE: He does seem to be a bit of a ghost. LYLA: And inconsistent to boot. He’s there for a very justifiable and concrete reason and then he vanishes for no concrete reason whatsoever. What’s his endgame? DIGGLE (over-dramatically): Oh, we’re stumbling upon a terrorist with an initially vague endgame that we must piece together. Must be October. LYLA (laughing): Shut up. The door BURSTS open and in rushes Brummel, clad in his League attire and combat ready. Diggle jumps up and fights him. Lyla takes Sara out of there. The two pummel each other, but Brummel gets the upper hand and flips him onto the coffee table. As Brummel draws his sword and prepares to execute Diggle, BLAM! BRUMMEL: Aagh! He drops his weapon and flees. Behind him, Lyla holds a shotgun. She helps her husband to his feet. EXT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- NIGHT Laurel opens the door to find Oliver standing there. The awkward tension is palpable. OLIVER: Hey. LAUREL: Hey. OLIVER: Can I come in? LAUREL: Uh… yeah. Laurel steps aside and Oliver enters. INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- COMMON AREA- NIGHT- NEXT Laurel sits on the couch, Oliver close by. Oliver opens a soda that Laurel hands him and sips it. OLIVER: We need to talk. LAUREL: If you’re here to guilt trip me or disown me, or anything like that, Ollie, I understand. OLIVER: You’ve made some pretty reckless decisions in the name of preserving this team since I’ve been gone, or so Thea would have me believe. LAUREL: Oliver, I’m sorry, I- OLIVER: Felicity wasn’t your fault, but I will not have you become the man I was when I first returned from Lian Yu. He gives her a hard look. Laurel looks him dead in the eyes. A tense moment. Tenser. Ever tenser. OLIVER: Quentin called, said you want to bring Sara back. This pushes a button: LAUREL: Don’t pretend for one second that you don’t. OLIVER: You know how Thea was when Ra’s brought her back. She was wild, feral. But it was still Sara. You have my blessing and I’m sure you’d have Nyssa’s if she were standing here right now. Laurel sighs, relieved. Ollie smiles, finishes the soda. INT. NANDA PARBAT- MALCOLM’S BEDROOM- NIGHT Malcolm looks out the window, before exiting to: INT. NANDA PARBAT- LAZARUS PIT CHAMBER- NEXT He submerges inside the Pit, then rises, his body soaked. As he bathes, he contemplates. The past? The future? Something else altogether? And then, wistfully: MALCOLM: Son… INT. HELICOPTER- NIGHT Several LEAGUE ASSASSINS sit in the aircraft, the skyline of Star City outlined by the lights of the city at night. INT. THE QUIVER- NIGHT Thea and Diggle spar. Thea flips Diggle over her shoulder onto his back, pressing her foot against his neck. She smiles and helps him to his feet. The sparring resumes. INT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES- ANDREA’S OFFICE- NIGHT Andrea is sitting at her desk, finishing up paperwork. A man, seen only from the back, enters and sits opposite her. ANDREA: You took your time. MAN: My employer does things on his own timetable. INT. BLACK VAN- NIGHT In a van inside a parking garage, Ray listens in. He’s bugged Andrea’s phone! INT. PALMER TECHNOLOGIES- ANDREA’S OFFICE- SAME ANDREA: Your employer needs to learn how to be a team player, Mr. Merlyn. Camera PANS to Andrea’s POV: The man smiles; PAN UP to his face. TOMMY MERLYN! ALIVE AND WELL! TOMMY: Mr. Darhk will be in touch. He’s out of town on business at the moment, but he promises to return soon. He wishes to meet with you in person. INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- COMMON AREA- NIGHT Laurel stands, humbled by Oliver’s grace. LAUREL: You don’t have to lie, Ollie. Oliver rises to meet her gaze. OLIVER: I’m not. He moves in to kiss her, but Laurel stops him. LAUREL: Ollie, Felicity’s only been gone- OLIVER: Over six months. She would’ve wanted me to move on. LAUREL: Ollie… OLIVER: It’s always been you, Laurel. ‘Oliver and Laurel’. ‘Laurel and Oliver’. ‘Lauriver’ or whatever. LAUREL: Cute. Ollie, it- it’s always been you, too. I just never thought, especially after- Oliver grabs Laurel and kisses her deeply. Is this genuine? Is he using Laurel as a human emotional crutch? Is it both? Laurel returns his kiss, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. They keep kissing. Various articles of clothing are lost. Ollie lays back on the couch. More kissing. Both parties lose their pants. INT. LAUREL’S DREAMSCAPE- NIGHT Laurel again succeeds in fighting off Brickwell, who vanishes once he’s been sufficiently beaten. E2 Laurel claps and smiles at E1 Laurel. EXT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- NIGHT Nyssa comes up to Laurel’s door, almost knocks. Decides against it. ‘Protect my friend.’ Leaves without a word. INT. MERCER’S LIMO- NIGHT The outskirts of town. Mercer smiles as Sara enters his car. MERCER: We’ve been waiting for you. SARA: Had to do a little reconnaissance. Oliver is still in the city, so are my father and sister. We can move in on them whenever we wish. There’s one problem. MERCER: And what is that? SARA: Nyssa has also returned to Starling. MERCER: It’s Star City now, love. SARA: Whatever. MERCER: Is the former Heir to the Demon going to be an issue? SARA: I can handle her. Don’t worry, sir. MERCER: Magnificent. He kisses her. She kisses him back. EXT. ALLEYWAY- NIGHT Carrie Cutter shoves Harkness against a wall, kissing him forcefully. When she relents, his eyes glow a strange, almost metallic silver. Her eyes shine the same color. Cutter nods to a civilian couple passing them on the street. The two squad members follow the couple. EXT. BATTLEFIELD- STAR CITY 2066- NIGHT Caption: 2066 Rip Hunter comes across the corpses of his wife and child. He falls to his knees, cradling them, weeps. Savage stands over him, silently gloating. The madman vanishes into an open portal, which closes as soon as it appears. Hunter raises his head and looks directly into camera, resolution and vengeance in his stormy eyes. SAVAGE (voice): You cannot stop the inevitable, Hunter. It is an exercise in futility. EXT. THE GLADES- ALLEYWAY- NIGHT Brummel has a wristwatch help up to his face. Mercer’s voice comes out of it. A communicator, not a watch. MERCER (voice): My employer has a new assignment for you. BRUMMEL: I’m all ears, Mr. Mercer. MERCER (voice): I hear you smiling. Any update on that toxin you nicked Queen with? INT. LAUREL’S APARTMENT- COMMON AREA- NIGHT Oliver and Laurel are on the ground, both naked, wrapped up in each other’s bodies. Asleep. Oliver rustles. LAUREL: You okay? OLIVER: I’m fine. Where’s the bathroom? LAUREL: Down the hall and to the left. He stands and walks to: INT. BATHROOM- NEXT Oliver examines himself in the mirror. His vision blurs, he stumbles, holds onto the sink. OLIVER: Laurel… Laurel! Laur… He collapses onto the bathroom floor. THUD! Laurel rushes to his side, shaking him. LAUREL: Oh my god! Oliver! Oliver! Ollie, wake up! Ollie! Oliver’s eyes are closed and he’s unresponsive. Laurel checks his pulse and breath. Both are present. LAUREL: Oh, thank god! She rushes back to: INT. LAUREL’S BEDROOM- NEXT She dashes inside to find her phone. After some scurrying, she finds it- with a BULLET HOLE IN IT. A similar hole in the window. LAUREL: What the hell? WHIZ! Her lamp light shatters. Another bullet whizzes by her. She runs back into: INT. BATHROOM- NEXT She hunkers down next to Oliver’s prone form. LAUREL: Please wake up, Ollie. Please… AERIAL VIEW: the two of them on the bathroom floor. INT. QUEEN MANSION- OLIVER’S BEDROOM- MORNING- DREAMSCAPE Oliver wakes up next to Laurel. He nuzzles her hair and gets up, sitting on the side of the bed. Laurel also rises, beaming proudly. When Oliver turns around, his mouth drops open: Laurel is PREGNANT. Quite pregnant, in fact. 'About to pop' comes to mind. LAUREL (teasing): You know it’s not polite to stare. Oliver sits there, stunned. He gets up, leaves. INT. QUEEN MANSION- STAIRWELL- MORNING- DREAMSCAPE Oliver walks down the stairwell until he COLLIDES with none other than his mother. She seems very much alive. OLIVER: Mom? END EPISODE Trivia * Antagonists: Blake Reed, Julian Mercer, Beau Brummel * This episode is the series premiere, and kicks off the sequel show. * First episode in which Oliver does not don the Arrow costume. ** He does don his League outfit during his fight with Reed. *** With the exception of Black Canary & Speedy fighting Reed, and Oliver's fight with Reed, almost all of the episode sees Team Arrow exclusively in their civilian identities. * Felicity Smoak is coldly murdered in the opening moments of this episode. * This episode begins the story arc centered around H.I.V.E. (organization), teased in previous seasons of Arrow. * This is one of only a few episodes where the episode's villain defeats Oliver in single combat. Reed is the third League member to do so, the others being Malcolm Merlyn and the former Ra's al Ghul. * This episode is Laurel-centric. Revelations * Laurel was aware of Reed and initially blamed herself for Felicity's death, whereas Oliver does not. * Laurel has been having dreams of her Earth-2 doppleganger. * Laurel reveals in this episode that she still has romantic feelings for Oliver. * Malcolm and Nyssa have both been keeping tabs on Team Arrow. * Reed murders Felicity to draw Oliver out in the open and Waller to weaken A.R.G.U.S. * Reed claims that a war is brewing between H.I.V.E. and the League of Assassins; Star City is meant to be Ground Zero for this war. * Ray signs Palmer Tech over to Andrea Beaumont, an old flame, in a merger with her company, Beaumont-Powers Global. Andrea later states that her company is a business rival to Merlyn Global. * Nyssa tries and fails to assassinate Malcolm and take the League for herself. She then escapes to Star City via helicopter. This is presumably the same helicopter on which Brummel escaped League custody. * Reed is murdered shortly after winning his fight against Oliver to cover up the location of H.I.V.E.'s Lazarus Pit. * H.I.V.E. is in possession of another Lazarus Pit, with which Darhk intends to resurrect Moira Queen. The reasons for this are currently unknown. * Mercer gives Oliver files, presumably about Reed, but they later turn out to pertain to Andrea Beaumont. * Mercer manipulated Oliver's rage at Felicity's murder almost to the point of Oliver murdering Reed, hoping they might kill each other, but Oliver holds back in his duel with Reed, forcing Brummel to eliminate Reed himself. Brummel also shoots Oliver with a neurotoxin-laced bullet. * Brummel later attacks the Diggle family in their home, but is driven off when Lyla shoots him. * At episode's end, it is revealed that Brummel is a double agent for H.I.V.E. ** This neurotoxin puts Oliver into an unconscious state in which he hallucinates a perfect life for himself. In this perfect life, Moira is still alive and he is married to Laurel, who is pregnant with their first child. * Laurel wants to resurrect Sara. Both Quentin and Oliver are supportive of this plan. However, when Laurel and Thea go to exhume Sara's grave they find it empty. * Sara and Tommy have both been resurrected and are in the employ of H.I.V.E. * This negates Laurel's plan to resurrect Sara herself. ** Tommy is Andrea's superior. Body Count * Felicity Smoak- shot in the neck, killed by Blake Reed * Amanda Waller- shot in the neck with an arrow, killed by Blake Reed * Blake Reed- shot through the chest with an arrow, killed by Beau Brummel Music * First by Cold War Kids- Ollie backs Laurel's decision to resurrect Sara; Malcolm bathes in the Lazarus Pit; League assassins approach Star City via helicopter; Thea and Diggle spar in The Quiver; Andrea Beaumont meets with Tommy Merlyn; Ray listens in on Andrea and Tommy; Oliver kisses Laurel and they make love Gallery nyssalcolm 4x01.jpg Arrow-S3-E19-Laurel.jpg arrow-recap-thea-crazy.jpg Category:Canary Episodes Category:Canary Season 1 Episodes Category:Episodes featuring all main characters Category:Episodes set in 2015 Category:Complete episodes Category:Laurel-centric episodes Category:Episodes set in Star City Category:Episodes set in Nanda Parbat Category:Arc: League Civil War Category:Arc: HIVE Category:Arc: Canary Cry Category:Original Timeline Category:Pre-Convergence Episodes Category:Series Premieres Category:Season Premieres